 AGeo Storm with a front-end bra | |
| Inventor | Bill Colgan |
|---|---|
| Inception | 1961 |
| Manufacturer | Colgan Custom Manufacturing Covercraft |
Afront-end bra (also known as acar bra,bonnet bra,front-end cover,hood bra,auto bra,[1]hood mask,car mask, etc.) is a (usually black)vinyl cover that attaches to the front of acar or othervehicle to protect thebumper,hood, and sides of thefenders fromscratches. The inside of the bra is lined with afelt-like material.[2]
Bill Colgan, founder of Colgan Custom Manufacturing, Inc. successfully operated atrim andupholstery business inBurbank, California, for fifteen years prior to creating the car bra. The front-end bra was invented in 1961 when three German engineers fromLockheed commissioned Colgan for protective covers for theirPorsches. The very first pattern was for thePorsche 356, the first order for which was for 12 units. Following a subsequent order of 150 covers, Colgan paused car cover production in order to concentrate on his main business.
By the mid-1970s, Colgan's comfortable position in the upholstery business allowed him to resume car cover production, having given a name to his invention: the "Original CarBra."[3][4] The popularity of the front-end bra peaked in the 1980s and 1990s in the United States.[citation needed]
Oklahoma-based Covercraft acquired Colgan Custom Manufacturing in 2009.[citation needed]
There are several types of front-end bras, including "full", "sport", and "T-style". "Sport" car bras cover less of the front of the vehicle than "full" bras. The "T-style" bra is generally intended for trucks and SUVs.[5][6] Front-end bras can also be carbon-based, ostensibly to absorb themicrowaves used inpolice radar equipment and thus minimize the risk of detection when speeding.[1][7]Front-end bras are most commonly black, but may be available in other colors to match the color of the vehicle. "Clear" front-end bras exist in the form of a transparent protective film that can extend from the front end over the entire car body.[citation needed]
Along withdazzle camouflage, automakers may use larger bras together with cloth covers to conceal the design of an entire vehicle (or certain parts of it)during development and road testing.[8]
